Portsmouth, Ohio — Carolina University Women's Basketball took the floor Friday evening for Day 1 of the Shawnee State Classic, meeting a familiar opponent in West Virginia Tech. After previously falling 80–63 to the Golden Bears earlier this season, the Bruins entered with confidence and continued signs of improvement under first-year Head Coach Hannah Latiolais. Despite a strong second quarter and late push, Carolina ultimately came up short in a competitive 64–59 decision.

Carolina was paced offensively by Jakyiiah Willis, who posted a game-high 18 points while adding five assists, showing her ability to lead the offense in big moments. Angelina Jordan delivered another efficient performance, finishing with 14 points on 5–11 shooting, while Mya Smith provided a spark off the bench, registering 8 points, 3 rebounds, and strong defensive minutes.

The Bruins surged in the second quarter, outscoring WVU Tech 24–24 and momentarily claiming the lead after a 10–2 offensive burst highlighted by buckets from Willis, Jordan, and Smith. Carolina also forced 20 WVU Tech turnovers, converting those mistakes into 16 points, a key reason the game remained tight deep into the fourth quarter. However, WVU Tech's size advantage on the boards—outrebounding CU 47–23—ultimately proved to be the difference.

Coach Latiolais on the Team's Performance

"Our growth is showing every single night," said Head Coach Hannah Latiolais. "We're a young group in a new system, but the effort, the competitiveness, and the belief in each other are increasing with every game. We put ourselves in a position to win against a very well-coached WVU Tech team, and now it's about cleaning up the small details. I'm proud of their fight, and I'm excited to see how we respond tomorrow."

Looking Ahead

Carolina University returns to action Saturday, November 15 at 12 PM, when they take on the host team, Shawnee State, in Day 2 of the Shawnee State Classic.